


Birds of Tomorrow Drabbles

by Miss_Eve_Meah



Series: Birds of Tomorrow [1]
Category: DCU
Genre: Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, Kid Fic, Next Generation, OC, Original Character(s), a whole bunch, oc fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-04-25 05:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4948627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Eve_Meah/pseuds/Miss_Eve_Meah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm using this to get feed back on chapters and characters for a stronger fic. These are drabbles of OC's for the next generation of the BatFam and spouses for some of the BatFam. Just some headcannons and ideas I've had in my head for a while. I'm trying to flesh out a chronological story with plot and character development. In the mean time, these are bits and pieces of that. They probably won't be in chronological order, but I'll try my best to include background in the notes. I hope you like these characters. And, if you don't, please explain why (if convenient). Okay, great. Continue on your way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kennedy is born

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. I think there's enough background in this one, but I'll add some notes anyway. Jason's 24th birthday celebration, he finds out he's having a baby, goes and gets the baby, her name is Kennedy, he likes her. This is the beginning of her story line, so she won't be doing much yet.

Jason got a call out of nowhere, from a girl he barely remembered sleeping with, on his 24 birthday. He was having a baby. No, she was having a baby and she didn’t want it, so he’s getting a baby. Happy birthday, Jason. And baby. He left his birthday party, much to his family, and various friends, dismay, to get onto his motorcycle and drive to Kennedy and 25th where Gotham Memorial Hospital was located. 

He got to that girl’s room, he still couldn’t quite remember her name, and was immediately pushed out by doctors. “I’m, um, the father.” He told them, still not quite believing it. They tell him it’ll be a few hours and that the mother didn’t want him there. So, Jason is stuck waiting for the child he didn’t know about for nine months to be born. How did this happen, he asks himself. What am I going to do with a baby? 

Instead of answering these questions, he decided to make arrangements, but he couldn’t leave. He’ll call.... whom do you call when your one nightstand is delivering the baby you learned about at the last minuet and is giving you soul custody? Your father? No. Your little brother? No. Your sister-in-law? Maybe. What would Babs say? Something better than Bruce or Tim, defiantly. God knows Dick would be over the fucking moon... DICK! Yes. In times of crises, big brother or not, you called Dick “rainbows fly outta my ass and I have a literal star baby” Grayson. Jason picked up his phone. 

“Jay!” Dick answered. “Why’d you leave your party?” 

“Listen Dick, I, um, I kinda need a big brother right now.” 

Dick went silent for a minuet. “What’s wrong, Jason? What happened?” 

Jason sighed. “That’s, uh, we’ll talk about that later, but right now I, um, this girl is, well, I’m having baby.” There was silence again, then a piercing scream. 

“JASON!!!” 

“I KNOW, OKAY! Dammit. Listen, just,” Jason rubbed a hand over his face. “I need help. My apartment is not for kids and I was thinking, maybe I could bring this baby to the manor, or something, till I fix the place up?” 

“Oh, little brother,” Dick sighed into the phone, “you can’t just ‘fix the place up’. You need a new place. That neighborhood is not for little babies.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” Jason was getting irritated. “So, manor?” 

“Yeah! Of course! I’ll talk to Bruce and Alfred and we can set up a nursery! How long till the baby’s due?” 

“Um,” Jason glanced over to the door full of screaming, “um, about 10 hours?”

“Holy crap. Damn, that is no time! We need dippers and formula and baby books and clothes and a crib and pacifiers and,” Dick took a breath, “damn, Little Wing!” 

“I KNOW! That’s why I called you! Dick, I don’t know anything. Please, you gotta help me, man. I am so screwed.” 

Dick chuckled on the other end. “Don’t worry, little brother. We’ll take care of everything. You take care of the kid. Oh! And you need a car. You can’t drive a baby home on your motorcycle, Jay. I have to go. We have so much to do. And congratulations, ‘Dad’.” And he hung up. 

Jason put his head between his knees, trying to fight off a panic attack. DAD?! He needed a smoke. He walked away from the delivery room to pull out his cigarettes. He looked down at them and thought about his mother, about her addictions, and threw his pack and lighter into the trashcan. Dad. Dads didn’t smoke. Jason sat back down and tried to breathe. 

Four hours later, Barbara found him spaced out in the hallway. “Hey there,” she said. “Are you incapacitated with excitement?”

“How the hell am I gonna do this?” He moaned, putting the heels of his hands to his eyes. “How the hell could anyone let me do this?” 

“You’re going to be fine, Jason.” Babs took a seat next to him. “You’re a good guy.” 

He lowered his hands and looked at her. “Barbara, I’ve killed people.” 

“And you’ve saved them.”

He glared at her. “I died.” 

She shrugged. “You came back.” Jason hit his head against the wall. “Look,” she continued, “I know this is scary, but we’re all here for you, okay?” 

Jay tried to nod. They sat there for about an hour with Jason spacing out again and Barbara’s hand on his leg. Then doctor came out. Jason was on his feet in a second. The doctor said, “it’s a girl.” and Jason passed out.

When he came to, he was in a hospital bed with Bruce sitting in a chair next to him. “You have a baby girl.” Bruce told him, a soft smile on his face. 

“I remember.” Jason sat up, “I can’t believe I passed out.” 

“You were shocked.” Bruce stated. 

“Seriously?” Jason frowned at him. “You’re not going to lecture me about fainting and weakness, or something?”

Bruce put a hand on his shoulder, “Jason, you are in a very emotional place right now. It’s understandable to get over whelmed.” 

Jason pulled away from Bruce and furrowed his eyebrows. “Where am I? Who are you?” 

Bruce chuckled at Jason. “I know it seems odd for me to be the one to say this, but its true.” Jason relaxed a little, kind of liking happy, good-natured Bruce. “Happy birthday, by the way.”

“Thanks.” Jason said, “I guess we share a birthday, huh? Me and her.” He looked around the room. “Where’s my baby?” 

Bruce smiled that soft smile again. “She’s in the nursery. Would you like to meet her?” 

Jason got up and followed Bruce. When they got to the window looking in on the babies, Dick, Barbara, Tim, Damian, and Alfred met them. Dick immediately pulled Jason into the tightest hug of his life. 

“Congratulations, she’s beautiful.” Dick pulled away, wiping his eyes. Babs hugged him next, then, surprisingly, Tim. 

“Thank you, guys.” Jason said, a bit confused. “Can I see her now?” 

They got a nurse to direct Jason to his daughter. She showed him how to hold her, than his baby was in his arms. All of a sudden, Jason understood why Bruce looked soft, why Dick was crying, and why Tim hugged him; it was because they loved him. And he loved this little girl, this baby that he hadn’t known about till eight hours ago. She was so small, and pink, and, Dick was right, beautiful. Jason never wanted to let her go. 

The nurse let him carry his baby back to his room, his family in tow. They all looked at her and cooed. Jason couldn’t stop smiling, till a horrible thought occurred to him. 

“What about her mother?” Jason asked. “What if she wants her back? What would happen if she wanted her back?” Jason looked to Bruce, still smiling, who nodding to Barbara. 

She patted his elbow. “There’s a reason I was the one to come here first. I am still your lawyer.” She pulled out a paper from her purse. “When Linda-“ 

“Linda!” Jason exclaimed. “That’s her name! Oh God, it was driving me crazy.” 

Babs smirked. “Classy, Jay.” 

“Hey, monkey see, monkey do, right Bruce?” 

“Don’t do that to your kid.” Bruce warned. 

“When Linda regained consciousness,” Babs continued, “I asked her if she was sure she wanted to give up her child. She told me she was going to give it to an orphanage, but that it would be better if Jason took her. So, someone would love her. So, she could be with family. I had Linda sign this form to wave all parental rights.” She showed Jason. “So, she’s yours, now and forever. But,” Babs pulled out another document from her purse, the birth certificate. “She needs a name.”

Jason sat down with the baby. “I don’t know. I haven’t really had time to think.” 

Tim nodded, “Only 10 hours and now you have a baby. That’s amazing.” He said. 

Damian rolled his eyes. “TT, thanks for the sentiment, Drake.” 

“Shut up, you little-“ 

“Stop.” Dick said. “No arguing in front of the baby. Ever.” 

Tim nodded and apologized to Jason, but Damian just looked at the child like it was magic. “She should have a good name.” Damian declared. Bruce smiled at him and put a hand on his son’s shoulder. 

“Master Jason,” Alfred said, “May I hold her?” 

“Of course.” Jason stood slowly and held his arms out for Alfred to take the baby, but before he could, Jason pulled back. “Sorry.” he said sheepishly. He tried again, only to pull her away. “Sorry! I guess it’s hard to let go.” 

Dick chuckled. “Already hard to let go, and she hasn’t even began to walk yet. Or go to school, or date-”

“Stop! Stop! God, no!” Jason held his baby close. He took a deep breath and finally handed Alfred the baby. 

“Thank you, Master Jason. And hello to you, young miss.” Alfred cooed to the little girl. “What will your name be?” 

“What about Anna?” Dick suggested. 

“Dated an Anna.” Jason replied. “Crazy.” 

“Courtney?” Tim suggested. 

“All Courtney’s are sluts, my daughter is not a Courtney.” 

“What about Barbara?” Bruce said. 

“Oh no,” Babs said. “Believe me, I have been called Barbie way too many times in life and I will not let another girl go through that.” She huffed. 

Jason smiled. “Middle name, then.” 

“What about Stella?” Damian said. 

Dick laughed. “Stella Luna.” and Tim laughed too. 

“What?” Damian asked. “That sounds like a nice name to me, it would mean the stars and moon.” 

Bruce shook his head. “It’s also a very popular children’s book about a bat.” 

Damian furrowed his eyebrows. “I still don’t see the problem.” 

“Ellen.” Tim said, hurriedly. “What about Ellen?” 

“No, I dated an Ellen.” Jason shook his head. 

“Well, damn, Jason.” Tim said. “If you’re eliminating all the girls you’ve dated we should just switch to boys names.” 

“Damian.” Damian said immediately. 

“I’m not naming my daughter after you.” Jason frowned at Damian.

“What about your mother?” Dick suggested. 

“Which one?” Jason replied. 

“Okay, not that.” Dick shuttered. 

“What about your mom, Babs?” Jason asked. 

Barbara smirked. “Which one?” 

“Good point.” Jason said. 

“You know, I’m not the mother, right?” Barbara looked between Bruce and Jason. “Stop trying to name this kid after me.”

“How’s Kennedy?” Damian said. The baby made a loud laughing noise in Alfred’s arms. 

“Do you like that, Miss Kennedy?” Alfred asked, and she cooed again. 

“Well, we have a name.” Jason said. He took Kennedy back from Alfred and looked her in her blue eyes, open, innocent, and bright. “You are Kennedy Barbara Todd,” he looked at Bruce, who smiled at him and Kennedy, before adding “Wayne” to her name. “I’m you Daddy, and this is your family. We are going to take such good care of you.”

“Wait,” Bruce said, “Damian, how did you come up with the name Kennedy?” 

Damian just shrugged. “We’re on Kennedy Street.” 

“Wait, what?” Jason said, looking up from his child. “You decided to name my kid after the street she was born on?” 

Damian furrowed his brow again. “I don’t see the problem.” 

“Oh, who cares?” Dick said, waving his hand. “My name is slang for penis. At least Kennedy was a president.” 

Jason shrugged. “I guess. At least she had nothing in common with Cheney.”


	2. Jason has nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This follows the last one, but not directly. Jason Todd and his daughter (who I made up) Kennedy (sometimes I write it as Kenny or Ken, too) are living in a small apartment near Crime Ally in Old Gotham. Kennedy is about 5, so she'll be doing something this chapter but still not much. Jason has nightmares from the, you know, dying. I think that covers it. If I left out anything, or some part of this chapter is confusing, please tell me so I can help you and fix it. Thanks...

Jason had always tried to keep himself quiet during his nightmares, night terrors really. It has always made the most sense, tactically and mentally. You don’t want the neighbors to hear you scream (though in most of the places he stayed, it wouldn’t have been a problem), and he didn’t want to hear the echoes of his nightmares when he finally woke. It became an essential part of life when he had Kennedy. Waking the baby by screaming the horrors of your blood death didn’t make for a happy childhood. So, he stayed quiet. He held it in, as he had for many years before and five years since.

But one night, one bad night, he couldn’t hold it in. It wasn’t the normal one, where he was staring down the bomb only to wake up in his grave. This time he watched Kennedy, his daughter, his own blood, his responsibility, being beaten by the Joker. This time he woke up screaming and crying. Jason sat up and turned on his light to make sure he was really there. He looked around his small room in their small apartment a block away from Crime Ally. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling on it, trying to ground himself. Bringing his knees to his chest, he curled up and let himself cry.

A minuet later, his door opened. “Daddy?” A small voice called. Jason could see Kennedy’s little head poke into his room. He couldn’t bring himself to speak, couldn’t make himself go to comfort his daughter. He continued to cry. Kennedy’s head disappeared. At least he had seen her, Jason thought. At least he knew, for certain, that she was all right. 

But she came back. Kennedy careful pushed open his door. She was carrying a mug of water. She carefully put it on his bedside table, not spilling a drop, bless her, before climbing onto the bed with him and nudging him until she was sitting in his lap. She hugged Jason around the waist and said, “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re okay.” Just like he would do when Kennedy had a nightmare. He held her tight, brushing her soft brown hair.

Eventually, Kennedy fell asleep, but Jason never let her go. The sun rose and so did Kennedy. She smiled at him as she rubbed her big blue eyes. Jason smiled back and pushed her hair from her face. “Breakfast?” he asked. 

“Daddy, why were you crying?” 

Jason was shocked. Well, she had always been a blunt kid. “I’ll- um- it’s a long story, honey. Why don’t we get breakfast now, come on.”

“But you will tell me.” Kennedy looked at him earnestly.

“Yes, baby. I’ll tell you, eventually. But right now, we need to eat.”

“Fine.” She huffed before jumping off his bed and going to her room to change.


	3. Brunch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one has everyone in it. Well, everyone I'll be using. OC's and the bats. The scene is brunch at Wayne Manor. Bruce is retired and married to Selina. Damian is now Batman and he's married to an OC, Kali, who I'll introduce to you eventually. Jason and Kennedy, who is 17 here, like to cook and make brunch for the family on Sundays. Tim is married to another OC, Simone, who I will also get around to, and they have a son, Aaron. I think I'll tell you about him next chapter. Dick and Barbara are married and have a daughter, Abby, and twin sons Jake and Dan. They're all relatively close in age. I wanted to show that, in this future fic, there's some routine and stability. I think I covered everything, but if not, or if you get confused, please comment so I can help. I'd love to learn from these posts.

Bruce Wayne is a creature of habit. Once a week, his whole family gathers and eats Sunday brunch together. For one day a week, his whole family takes a few hours out of their busy lives to catch up and spend time together. And that’s something all they need.

8:00 am Sunday morning, he is at the dinning room table, drinking coffee and reading the paper. When he was younger, Bruce would’ve been too tired to be up this early. But since he retired from vigilantism, he has found that it’s important to be up early, especially on Sundays.

8:15 am Jason strolls in past Bruce calling, “Morning” as he heads to the kitchen, hefting some paper bags from the farmers market. Kennedy comes in after him with more bags and kisses Bruce on the cheek. 

“Early bird gets the worm, right, Granddad?” She teases. He hums in response, flipping his paper and shielding his face. She chuckles at him and goes to help Jason prepare their family’s traditional Sunday brunch.

The new generation of Batman and Robin is close to the original. Damian Wayne took Bruce’s place as the Dark Knight when he retired and Abigail Gordon-Grayson became Robin when she was old enough at 13. Kennedy wanted to be Robin, but Jason outright forbid it. He was, however, swayed into letting her be Batgirl.

8:45 am Abby sinks into the chair next to Bruce, yawns hugely, then pillows her head on her arms and goes back to sleep. At age 15, she’s practically snoring on the dining-room table. Abby usually stays at the manor after patrol on Saturday nights. She would just have to come back the next morning, anyway. Kennedy, on the other hand, likes to go home after patrol. She likes to shop the farmers market with her dad on Sunday mornings.

9:08 am Kennedy comes out of the kitchen with a hot cup of coffee for Bruce and a cold bowl of cereal for Abby. After handing Bruce his coffee, Kenny shakes her cousin a bit to wake her. Abby rises, looks around a bit, finds the cereal, and starts eating. Kennedy smiles at her before going back to the kitchen. Bruce sips his coffee. It’s good.

9:13 am Damian sits down on the other side of his father. He, thankfully, takes Abby’s attention off of Bruce. Like Dick, Abby is a talker and doesn’t seem to mind when she doesn’t get a response. She tells her Granddad that Uncle Dami is grumpier than usual. Damian’s wife, Kali, has become uncharacteristic grouchy since becoming pregnant and neither of them are getting much sleep. He glares at Abby, telling her Kali had decided that three in the morning was the perfect time to rearrange the furniture. Abby leans over and pokes him in the nose, going “boop.” He doesn’t seem amused. 

9:42 am and the table is almost full. Selina finally comes down to the table with record-breaking bed head and a very pregnant and very grouchy Kali. Selina pushes Abby down a chair to sit next to Bruce, while Kali takes her seat next to Damian. Bruce smiles at his wife and hands over his coffee. Selina kisses him and chugs the coffee. Dick and Babs bring over the twins, Jake and Dan, and sit next to their daughter, who tells them all about patrol last night. Damian is going between correcting her and rubbing his wife’s back to stave off morning sickness. Selina goes to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. Kali almost cries. 

9:50 am Tim and his wife, Simone, come with their son, Aaron. The boys are at the end of the table talking about video games, or girls, or breaking into the Pentagon, whatever pre-teen boys talk about. Tim and Barbara talk about their boys, and Simone and Dick talk about some interesting characters seen moving boxes at the docks. Bruce watches them all, occasionally contributing.

10:00 am on the dot, Jason and Kennedy come out of the kitchen carrying mountains of food. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, salad, pastries, fresh juice, coffee, all balancing in their arms. The twins run to the kitchen and grab plates and things for everyone. Jason and Kennedy put their plates of food down the length of the table, as the twins go down the sides, setting the table. As soon as everyone is seated, they all dig into the plates of food in front of them.


	4. Meet Aaron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaron is the son of Tim Drake and an OC I'll have later named Samone. Aaron's 14 here. He's going to Gotham Academy with 16 year old Abby, daughter of Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, and 17 year old Kennedy, who you know by now. Also in this chapter is Lian Harper and Jake and Dan, the Grayson twins, identical. Things you need to know: Lian and Kenny are the best of friends since birth. Kennedy is gay and dating Mar'i Grayson, which is okay because no one is actually related. Mar'i is mentioned but doesn't appear.

“Hey, um, you- you- your face is… good… and w-we should date. No? Yeah, that’s the probably the right call. Thank you for your time.” Aaron all but runs away from the third girl he tried to ask to the homecoming dance. Kennedy and Abby were at the other end of the hall in Gotham Academy, trying their best not to laugh at him. Well, Abby was trying her best not to laugh at him. 

When Aaron got to them, head hung down, shoulders hunched, Abby patted his back. “I thought you said ‘third time was the charm’?” He mumbled to her.

“I did,” she gave him a small smile that turned into a pout. “I honestly thought you would get the hang of it by now.”

“He’s terrible!” Ken gasped, shaking from laughter.

Aaron glared at her. “Oh, have you come up to breathe?”

“Honey,” she began, “sweetie, baby boy, darling, love, muffin face-”

“‘Muffin face’?”

“Look, Cous’, I love you, and you’re great, but the way you speak to people is terrible. How has no one killed you? At least punched you in the face? I am genuinely concerned.”

“Kennedy, stop talking!” Abby glared at her. “Sweetie,” she addressed Aaron, “we’re going to help you-”

“Oh, of course we are. You need it.”

“-and you will get a date for homecoming. I promise. Even if I have to go with you.”

“Yeah, that sounds great.” Aaron mumbled again. “I’ll just go to my first high school dance with my cousin. I’m sure that’ll go well. I don’t even want to go to the dance. Any dance. I don’t dance. And don’t you have like four boyfriends battling to be your date somewhere?”

Kennedy pulled herself together enough to look Aaron in the eye. “Aaron, I will be your lady tutor. I am a fantastic flirt. I get all the ladies. And Abby will be your mark. She get’s hit on copiously. I’m sure she’ll have some good pointer.”

“Absolutely!” Abby agreed. “I am a great receiver of come-ons. I know all of them.”

“No way in Hell.” Aaron said firmly. “I am not even pretending to flirt with my cousins.”

Abby turned to Kennedy. “We’ll have to go outside the family, then. Call Lian, she’s helpful.”

“Not Mar’i? She’s really easy, I should know.”

“He said no cousins, Ken.”

“I’m just going to leave while you ladies talk.” Aaron walked away from the bickering girls and towards the middle school to get the twins. 

The Grayson twins were just getting out of class when he got to them. Jake already had his phone out smirking at it, while Dan looking over his shoulder. Dan looked up at Aaron sympathetically. “Hey, buddy!” Dan tried for a smile. “How’s it going? Do you want to talk about it?”

“What?”

“He’s talking about this.” Jake showed Aaron his phone. It was playing security footage of Aaron trying to ask girls out, all three horribly embarrassing times. “You look terrible. What is wrong with you?” Jake said, stifling a laugh.

“I don’t know!” Aaron threw his hands in the air. “Why can’t I talk to girls? I can talk to people just fine but the second it’s ‘flirting’ I’m all awkward.”

“Um,” Dan rubbed his neck sheepishly. “You can’t really talk to people either.”

“Like Kenny said, how has no one punched you yet?” Jake added.

“Okay, I get it.” Aaron sighed. “Come on. Let’s go home.” 

\-------

“Hello. I am Aaron. Is my name. I’m not just, like ‘an Aaron’ that you get at a store of something. Off topic, sorry. What I mean to be saying is your shoes are very stylish and I’m not gay. No, wait, I- I mean that I like your shoes because they are on you and you are stylish and I am complimenting you-”

“Oh my God, boy, stop! Damn, what the hell? How are you this bad?” Lian backed away, hugging herself. “I thought you were going to cut off my feet or something. What happened to you? Kenny gave you a script.”

“I know!” Aaron buried his face in his hands. “What is wrong with me?!”

“If it helps,” Dick called over from his place next to Jason on the sofa, “your dad was just as bad.”

“Seriously horrible.” Jason agreed. “It’s a miracle you’re even alive.”

Abby got up from the floor in a huff, hands on her hips. “That’s it. You two are out of here. You are not helping.” Abby pulled her dad up by his arm. “Up. Up. Out of here. Go.”

Dick chuckled lightly. “Alright, we’re going. Good luck, buddy.” He called over his shoulder as Abby pushed him through the door, Jason following.

“Okay,” Kennedy sighed. “Maybe we should start out simple.” She took Aaron’s script and ripped it up. “Rule number one: Talk like a human person.”

Abby nodded. “Good thing to keep in mind. You know, Aaron, you’re sweet and polite when you talk to us, just try to talk to outsiders as if you know them.”

“Rule number two: Make eye contact.”

“Yeah,” Lian said. “But not too much. Mostly look at her while she’s talking and while you’re talking. Don’t stare, but making eye contact while she’s talking shows you’re interested and paying attention.”

“I always pay attention. To everything. Always. It’s my life.” Aaron said.

“We know that, but others don’t.”

“Rule number three:” Kennedy continued. “Asking questions. They don’t have to be observations or personal. You just need to say something. For example, ‘What’s your name?’ ‘How are you?’ ‘Have any weekend plans?’ They can be as ordinary and boring as they need to be to start a conversation. I think that’s enough basics. Think you could try again?”

“Um, sure.” Aaron said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning back to Lian. She looked at him skeptically before he started his ‘flirting’. “Hello. My name is Aaron. Who are you?”

“Lian. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. How are you finding this day?”

“Well, thank you. How are you?”

“I am well, also. Would you like to go to the dance with me?”

“It’s still a no, Aaron. But that was so much better!”

Abby’s jumping up and down clapping. “It really was! You made some solid eye contact, and you asked questions. You were super stiff, but you always are when you meet people.”

Kennedy smiled and nodded along. “I think with more practice, we could be getting you a girl by the end of the week.”

\-----------

By the end of the week, Aaron had officially been certified in “The Lian-Kennedy-Abigail School of How Not to Make a Fool of Yourself in Front of Prospective Fellow Humans to Date”. Abby made him a certificate and everything. Complete with a big gold star and a dinosaur sticker she used to give to her little brothers that say, “You did it!” with the dinosaur giving a thumbs up. She presented it to him at their family brunch on Sunday. Everyone clapped. Uncle Jason ruffled his dad’s hair saying, “You should take that course, Timmy. You could learn something.”

Monday marked one week till the homecoming dance. He went into his first class with moderate confidence. He could do this. He could talk to a girl. He tried to approach someone in this class before the class started, but ultimately chickened out. The next period went better. He actually talked to someone, but didn’t ask her out. She didn’t look at him, at all, through their short conversation. 

It was his third class that actually brought results. Aaron may not have been the most social person in the world, but that didn’t mean he didn’t talk to people. There was one girl in his third period, Danielle, who he actually liked. Not necessarily romantically, but liked enough to want to talk to and maybe spend time with. He spent the period going between taking notes and glancing at her from across the room. After the bell, he approached her while she was packing her backpack.

“Hello,” He greeted her. “The homework seems harder than usual, huh?”

“Yeah,” she said. “You want to work on it together?”

“I-I-what?” Aaron’s eyes were bulging out of his head. “No, but I-what?”

“I asked if you’d like to do the homework together?”

“Yes, you did. But I practiced! And I planned!”

Danielle chuckled at him. “What were you planning?”

“I was going to ask you to the homecoming dance…” Aaron said, shifting awkwardly on his feet. 

“Well, I didn’t really ask you to the dance.” She smiled shyly at him. “So, if you wanted to use your training, or whatever, you can take me to dinner tonight and ask me while we do our homework.”

“What? I mean, yeah! That’s totally a great idea. I, wow, okay you are cool. I’m Aaron, by the way.”

“I know, Aaron. I’m Danielle.”

“I know.” Aaron smiled at her as they left the classroom. “I was going to ask, but I already knew it. My coaches advised me against asking rhetorical questions.”

“You have coaches?” She laughed.

“Yes, and a certificate. It has a dinosaur sticker on it.”


	5. Meet Kali as she meets the parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember if I've mentioned Kali before, but here she is. I'm not sure this is the best introduction for her, but the better chapter I have is sooooo long. So, Kali is my OC and she's who I have paired with Damian. I will have definitely more on her later. As always, tell me how you feel about her and the chapter(s) in general. Thanks!

“Okay, take me through this one more time.” Kali huffed. They were in Damian’s car headed to Wayne Manor. They had been dating for about five months, and it was time to meet the family. Dinner with the parents. “Your father is Bruce Wayne. Your mother is out of the picture, but you have a stepmother, Selina. You have three brothers and two sisters.”

“Close,” Damian said from the drivers seat. “I only have one sister.” 

“Cassandra and Stephanie?” Kali asked, looking over from the dark road.

“Just Cassandra, Stephanie was never adopted.” 

“Okay.” Kali sighed. “One sister, Cassandra. She travels. Three brothers, all older.” Kali held up three fingers and began to count them off. “The oldest is Richard Grayson, because I am so not calling him Dick, don’t you smirk at me, Damian.” She swatted at him with her other hand. “He is married to Barbara. They have three kids, Abby, and the twins, Jake and Dan.” Kali ticked off one finger. “Next is Jason Todd, not married, and his daughter, Kennedy, which I still think is a weird name.”

Damian pouted at the windshield. “I named her.”

“Yeah, well, you’re weird.” She replied with a teasing smirk. Kali ticked off another finger. “Okay, then there is Tim Drake, who you don’t get along with, and his wife, Simone, and their son, Aaron. How’d I do?”

“Really good.” Damian turned on his signal to merge into the fast lane.

“Oh, thank God.” Kali sighed, sinking into the passengers seat. “Your family is crazy complicated. Oh, by the way,” Kali straightened in her seat. “About your mom, um, is she the mother of you brothers too?”

“What? No.” Damian glanced at her before looking back to the headlight lite road. “Have I not told you this?”

“No.” Kali gathered her long, brown hair over one shoulder, and began combing her fingers through it. “So, is Selina their mom?”

“No, they’re all adopted.”

“Ah, so that’s why the different last names.”

“Yes, I’m my father’s only true son.”

“Wow,” Kali grimaced at him. “You just kind of shit on your brothers there. Nice, Damian.”

Damian considered her for a minuet, without looking away from the road. “I love my brothers, but I am my father’s only blood family.”

“Fine.” Kali tilted her head to Damian, still running her fingers in her hair. “What about your mom? Why is she out of the picture? Was she your dad’s first wife?”

“No,” Damian merged back to the right. “They were never married, but my grandfather promised my mother to my father. But,” Damian pursed his lips. “Let’s say my mother and my father had some… un-ignorable disagreements; they weren’t a good-match. They were both too stubborn to make it work.” Damian turned right, heading out of the city. “So stubborn, that my father didn’t know about me until I was ten. My grandfather wanted my father as an heir and when he couldn’t get him, he used me.”

“Oh.” Kali whispered, her hands stilling. “I didn’t know.” 

“How could you? I never told you.” They rode in silence for a few minuets. Kali looked out the passenger window, watching buildings pass. Damian glanced over at her before breaking the silence. “I, um, I should warn you.”

“About?” Kali blinked back from the window and looked over at him.

“My parents are, let’s say, inimitable by way of parents. They will basically interrogate you.”

She stifled a giggle. “Sounds fun.”

“TT. Don’t be sarcastic.” He clutched the wheel. “I’m trying to help you.”

“TT. I’m not being sarcastic. This sounds like fun.” She turned to smile warmly at him. “Your family is complicated and big and in your business. I love it.”

“You do?” Damian asked warily.

“Yeah.” She said, her smile growing. “And it means meeting my family is going to be easy for you.”

“When am I meeting your family?” Damian smirked.

“The future, maybe. We’ll see how this goes, see if your parents interrogation scares me off.”

His smirk disappeared. “You think you’re being funny, but I am genuinely worried about this.”

“Hey,” Kali reached over to pat his arm. “I’m not going to dump you because your family is weird. Everyone has a weird family.”

“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” He told her seriously. 

“Meh. I’ll take my chances. As long as no one tries to kill me, I’m going to count it as a success.”

“TT. Stay away from Jason, then.”

“Jason’s a sweetheart.”

“Now.”

“TT.” She said. But Kali was smiling again. “Alright, one dad, two moms, two decades in separate homes. Three brothers, one sister, all older, all adopted. Two nieces, three nephews, all under ten, you adore them. Good?”

“Good.” The scenery slowly changed from skyscrapers to town houses to fields as the neared Wayne manor.

Kali let out a shaky breathe as the passed the gates. “Thanks for helping me study, buddy.” 

“Thanks for trying.” Damian replied.


End file.
